The Baths at Vingin Gorda

There is more to Virgin Garda's Saba Rock happy hour Painkillers at 3 bucks a glass - there is the free WiFi but there is even more and that is the large granite boulders scattered along the sea shore and piled high further inland. The Baths as they are know are very like Clifton Beach in Cape Town but here they are a nature reserve tightly controlled to save the environment. You are not allowed to anchor only pick up the limited number of mooring buoys and only permitted to stay 90 minutes. You are not swayed to take the dinghy ashore but must tie it off on a buoy and swim ashore. If a red flag is flying you are not supposed to go ashore although most people are colour blind.
I picked up a mooring ball on the north side of the field off Spring Bay. With fins I swam shore only to find a private beach with a sign indicating the direction to the Baths. I set off through the boulders but missed the path and soon found myself high up on top of these massive boulders. The drop down was a long way. I carefully tried to get round the boulders both going up and then down but there was no way out. I could hear the sea rushing between the boulders and headed towards the water but I was too high to get down so back again but this time try at a lower level. Finally I was on the sand as the water rushed in between the rocks... I had to get out of here because there was no way I could dive under the rock against the waves and get to clear water.
OK retrace my steps, slowly. It was more than an hour and a half when I climbed down off the boulders through the bush and onto the beach. A very stupid adventure to undertake alone but I was safe, calm and only a few blood spots. I jumped into the water. It never felt better. Now to find the right way to get ashore.
I took the dinghy south and tied it to the mooring buoy along with others and swam ashore through the large waves. The trail is very well set out with wooden stairs where they are needed and chains and ropes to assist you. A very tame experience from my earlier experience. Enjoyable and a must see part of the island.
Now it was time to see the other island in the channel and maybe dive on the Rhone wreck.
A magical moment on Malua

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